The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police in the Teso sub region are on the spot for frustrating efforts to fight defilement in the region. They argue that the officers side with the suspects to aid their freedom.
The accusations stem from the police annual report of 2019 that showed that East Kyoga is leading with defilement cases. East Kyoga led with 945 cases followed by Elgon and greater Masaka regions with 922 and 898 cases respectively.
Joyce Akiteng, a resident of Tubur sub county in Soroti district says she lost a case of defilement of her 14- year-old daughter when she failed to pay 20,000 shillings for fuel.
“The man had just defiled my daughter from the neighbour’s house. But I was in Soroti town. I ran to the police to report the case the officer told me to pay for his transport to the scene of the crime. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the money at the time. By the time I got the money, it was late and the officer visited the scene the next day after so much had changed”, she said.
Akiteng adds that even after the arrest of the suspect, he was released after six months on remand.
Joseph Opolot Ekomoloit, an official working with Kidetok Child and Family Programme, a local organization in Serere district says there is mismanagement of defilement cases before files are forwarded to court.
He cited two cases in Pingire sub county where suspects of defilement were released after interference by police officers in the district last year.
One of the cases involved a 15-year-old pupil who was allegedly defiled by a teacher whose age was reduced from 22 to 17 years.
Amos Oluka Adotu, the Senior Probation Officer and Social Welfare Officer in Soroti say some of the parents only report defilement cases after failed negotiations with the suspect’s family.
David Ongom Mudong, the East Kyoga police spokesman acknowledges that some officers connive with suspects to fail the cases. He, however wants parents and guardians to always consider securing concrete evidence against perpetrators of defilement for justice.
Although police registered some slight decline in the number of defilement cases from 15,366 in 2018 to 13,613 in 2019, only 5,732 cases were taken to court. However, only 1,021 cases secured convictions, 69 were acquitted, 474 dismissed and 4,168 cases were still under trial.
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